The Internet Is Freaking Out Over The Mad God's New Teaser Trailer
On June 27, the first trailer for "Mad God," a film directed by Phil Tippett, was released online. Tippett's credits include special effects work on a number of big-name blockbuster films, like "Jurassic Park," RoboCop," and the original "Star Wars." "Mad God" is technically his second feature film as a director, preceded only by a sequel to "Starship Troopers." His directorial work also includes a number of short animated films, three of which are also titled "Mad God," and take place within the same continuity as his upcoming feature.
As detailed in a Kickstarter campaign that ultimately helped fund the film, Tippett began work on "Mad God" 30 years ago, at which point he created the first bits of stop motion footage set in the project's fictional world. When he revived the film on Kickstarter, he was able to raise more than $120,000 to see it to completion. The three "Mad God" short films were likewise possible thanks to the Kickstarter campaign. In order to create the intricate stop motion animation of "Mad God," Tippett worked with art students and industry veterans alike, all united by their interest in animating a feature film entirely with practical effects, rather than computer-generated imagery.
"Mad God" is, indeed, a project 30 years in the making — and it's been seven years since its Kickstarter campaign was fully funded. Not surprisingly, fans on the internet are going wild over the new trailer.
Reactions to the Mad God trailer have been overwhelmingly positive
In response to the trailer on YouTube, many commenters have simply expressed their excitement about "Mad God" at large. User G-Man, for example, wrote "Sheesh, I WILL have to go to the theaters to watch this when this comes out." A user named Post Man also said "been a fan forever looks incredible."
On Twitter, a number of professionals working in film, animation, and even video games have likewise been hyping up Tippett's upcoming work. "Lost" screenwriter Javier Grillo-Marxuach, for example, shared the trailer and promised that "if you love stop motion like i love stop motion, then you know i am going to watch the hell out of this as soon as it is released." Greg Rice, who works as the Head of PlayStation Creators for Sony, shared that he's "all about this aesthetic for Phil Tippett's MAD GOD."
Finally, users on Reddit seem to be equal amounts excited and confused by the fleshy animation of "Mad God." "It looks cool, but what the hell?!" wrote user AngeluvDeath, to which a user named TimeTravelingChris simply responded "correct." User Jackmaster5000 said "this looks awesome," and compared it to a prior short film by Tippett titled "Prehistoric Beast." In response, user queezus77, who then watched the film for the first time, wrote "WOW. Absolutely stunned by [Prehistoric Beast]. What an absolute master."
"Mad God" will premiere at the Locarno Film Festival on August 5 before screening at subsequent film festivals both in-person and digitally.